Tag Archives: bbq trips

While any day is a good day for saucy goodness, May happens to be National Barbeque Month. Hop in the car, roll down the windows and get you to some smoky American goodness that’s finger lickin’ good.

Preparation

The first thing to do before going on any trip is to make sure your vehicle is in order. Avondale Chevy recommends you give your car the once-over by getting an oil change, fill up on fluids, get the tires inflated to the proper pressure and be sure your breaks are good to go. Don’t want to put miles on your car? Depending on your needs, rent an RV for the family, a convertible for the couple or a big truck for the boys trip.

List of Travel Items

Next, make a list of everything you’ll want to take with you. This includes clothing, toiletries, maps and other essential items. By having a list, you won’t have to wonder if you left anything behind. Also, make a checklist of everything that shouldn’t be left running or plugged in the house. Do a final check before you go to avoid the old question, “Did I leave the iron on?”

Where To Go

Now for the fun part — where to go? Here are some of the most famous or highly recommended
barbecue spots in the United States:

Opie’s Barbecue in Spicewood, Texas. This establishment is named after the owner’s dog. While every menu item is reported to be good, Forbes that the brisket is the ruler of the menu.

The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas. While in Texas, drive up the road and check out this other highly-rated barbecue joint. Side dishes are plentiful at this establishment, and you can see the meat being cooked over an open pit.

Voodoo Barbecue in New Orleans, La. You’ll think the food here is magical after you have a bite. This company has expanded into a chain, but the location you want is the original on St. Charles Avenue. Their barbecue is so good it would be hard to decide which one to get. Fortunately, they make it easy to get past this dilemma: they offer a great platter that lets you sample everything.

Virgil’s Real Barbecue in New York City. If you’re up north, you’re not out of luck. This restaurant is a massive roadhouse right in the city. It has Texas BBQ, New Orleans-style and other types of barbecue that make it unique. They also have delicious beers on tap to wash down the spice.

Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ and Catering in Kansas City, Kan. The state isn’t the only surprising thing about the location of this barbecue joint. It is located in the back of a gas station. The most exciting thing about it? Well, the meat, but also Zagat has rated it the top barbecue restaurant in Kansas City. Carolina pulled pork and burnt ends are among the highlights.

Arguably, most of the top-rated barbecue joints in the U.S. are in the South. Texas, Louisiana, the Carolinas, Tennessee and other such states are filled with purveyors of yummy barbecued goodness. However, that doesn’t mean no one else knows how to cook ribs and pulled pork. You’ll just have to look harder the further north or west you go.

The Ultimate BBQ Trip

For the ultimate cross country road trip, start in New York, slide on down the east coast to North Carolina and hit a few tangy, vinegar-style BBQ places. Travel through to Tennessee and hit up Nashville and Memphis. Eating the entire way, head down toward New Orleans and into Texas — where you’ll not want to miss Lockhart, a town known for three of its family run restaurants (Black’s, Smitty’s Market and Kreuz Market) and the battle of the BBQ. Drive on through Texas to the Pacific Ocean and take in the sunset celebrating your one-of-a-kind roadtrip. You can go jogging tomorrow.